I blew day 8 of induction ... Do I have to start over at Day 1?????

[From325]

Yesterday I realized for the first time that I am an emotional eater. I started induction on October 13th and have been doing great. Yesterday, my 3 year old twins put me over the edge sided with some horrible family health news that I lost it. I ate the 2 pack of Reeses peanut butter cups that have been sitting on my counter for 4 days. (before that I just looked at them and it NEVER bothered me) ... That was just the start. DH had to come home early from work so I could handle the family crises and he brought home Taco Bell for him and the kids, not to be rude, he brought me home dinner as well, I ate it out of pure convenience. I also had iced tea and a fruit cup ....

I have been testing Ketones in my urine since day 2 and they have always been high since starting Atkins. Last night, before I went to bed, I tested my urine again and I am AMAZED that the ketones were already NEGATIVE!!!!!! This morning as well they were negative.

I am back on track today, however, have my last 8 days been a waste because of what I did yesterday?

Any advise would be sincerely appreciated.

Thank you again!

~ Me

[Elizellen]

Not at all!
Just carry on eating to plan and I am sure that one bad day will not ruin everything for you.

You might find you have to combat cravings though, so be prepared with plenty of 'legal' food for meals and snacks so you dont crumble and give in again.

Perhaps a word to hubby about how, though you appreciate him bringing you food in a stressful situation to help out, it really is too much of a temptation for you, so next time please don't bring anything for you - as you will have a fridge full of 'legal' food to eat instead in the future

Or at the least, give him a list of the foods you are allowing yourself to eat so he can avoid the ones you are not going to eat and would throw away like flour and sugar-based things and starchy veg!

We dont have Taco Bell over here, but quite often it is possible to pick out the food you can eat from take-away foods, so have a think about what ingredients in a Taco bell dish you could eat if he forgets and brings it home for you again?

As for the Reeces starting the domino effect, now you know that in a stressful situation you might lose your 'won't-power' (which is how I think of what other people call 'will-power') you need to make sure that you don't have 'temptations' sitting in full view in the future.

So make sure that similar 'treats' are put away in a part of the cupboard you dont need to go to normally next time and prepare your own tasty 'treat foods' that are more easily grabbed in times of stress.

A last resort might be to label those sweets etc with the name of the people in the house who they are intended for - this might make you think twice before opening the packet

[D3anna]

I'm an emotional eater as well so I can totally understand where you are coming from...also family health crisis on my end which caused me to put on a lot of weight in a couple months.

You just have to pick up where you left off, act like it didn't happen. You didn't ruin things for yourself, just keep on as you were!

Hang in there!

[Lyssie]

I'm completely agreeing with Elizellen. Back on the wagon!

Taco bell is delicious. I used to order it a lot - I would buy the soft taco meal and discard the tortilla... I think it still has some carbs hidden in the meat but a much better option than ordering the crunchy supreme thingie (the hard taco covered in cheese and a soft taco) which is what I would have gotten before.

[Ashan]

As the others have said, just learn what you can from the experience and drive on. It sounds like you basically went off for some chocolate and maybe a bit more - then got right back into it. I think Dr. Atkins is a bit fear mongering about his Induction warnings, but I think that is because so many people fall completely away if they slip just a bit. You didn't.

Also, the "end" of Induction is nothing magical. Most people have become pretty comfortable by the end of the two weeks and don't seem all that anxious to start upping their carbs, so it becomes a gradual shift as they learn more about their bodies.

Keep the Faith!

[IrishIrish]

Perhaps the "take away" lessons here are as important as you feeling that you "blew day 8 of induction".

There are always going to be things that happen in life where we move toward old behaviors ... whether it is kids putting us near the edge, bad health news, deaths, financial problems, a night out with friends, a birthday party, Halloween, Christmas, a visit from in-laws, sniffles or whatever someone can throw your way. The key is to know how to handle it and not turn towards food. If you are an emotional eater, figure out what your plan is next time the impulse takes over. Take your kids outside and let them run off some steam or play with them. Do something, just don't eat.

Secondly, while DH I'm sure was trying to be helpful, you have to talk to him about the importance of your good health for him and for the kids. Unless we have those discussions with people closest to us, they can't keep up with what it is we need.

[tj28sweet]

I have been on induction since January, so far I have lost 22 lbs. The last 2 weeks I fell off the wagon but am ready to go again. Fortunately, I have not gained although, I did realize that I was not getting enough calories and once I started eating more of the right foods, I lost weight rapidly!

I think with Atkins a day or two of cheating is not going to matter as long as you get back in the saddle again.

I wish you the best of luck!

[JulieB]

You have definitely NOT blown it!! You are re-training yourself to learn a whole new lifestyle, it isn't easy and mistakes will be made! You got back on the horse - that's the really important thing. As Irish said, learn from it & be better prepared for next time.

Originally Posted by IrishIrish

The key is to know how to handle it and not turn towards food. If you are an emotional eater, figure out what your plan is next time the impulse takes over.

I am an emotional eater as well. If you can't always avoid turning to food - there are some 'legal' foods that are 'not recommended' that you may not usually eat. I would maybe use those...have a cup of tea with SPLENDA or a pepperoni stick (I'm *trying* to watch my sodium) or... (whatever you like but don't usually eat that's legal).

Another thing to avoid the 'convenience' of eating a quick 'not-legal' meal is to keep an 'emergency' meal in the freezer - just microwave & eat.

Best Wishes, Julie